Your divorce may affect each of your children differently and your effort to prepare for their reactions is important to help you understand how to best tend to their needs and concerns. One difficulty you may find especially challenging is if you have a child that is young or lacks a strong relationship with your ex and thus experience anxiety whenever it is time for a visit. At McMahan Perry Phillips, we understand the difficulties that parents may face when they are going through a divorce in Georgia.
One resource you can use to help your child learn coping mechanisms and to encourage him or her to be more comfortable with unfamiliar people and situations is professional therapy. This may also provide your child with a controlled environment in which he or she may feel comfortable and safe sharing concerns that are causing feelings like angst, sadness or frustration.
You may also benefit from talking with your child about divorce and explaining that the changes that have transpired are not his or her fault. Discuss the importance and excitement of maintaining a relationship with both parents and try to make visits something to look forward to. Verywellfamily.com suggests that you do your best to talk with your ex about what is happening so both of you can make preparations to support and comfort your child. In terms of assessing whether or not progress is being made, set reasonable goals and celebrate any progress that has been made.
When you are watching for signs of anxiety in your child and are proactive in providing support to your child, you may be able to minimize his or her anxiety that stems from visiting your ex. For more information about creating a visitation schedule, visit our web page.